Reservations for the new Italian train “La Dolce Vita Orient Express” open on Tuesday.
Luxury train enthusiasts may want to lock in the current fare now – before it climbs further.
Starting prices for an overnight trip on the luxury train increased from 2,000 euros ($2,168) per person in December 2022 to 2,500 euros per person in November 2023. Both prices were fixed for a pre-sale reservation period, which required a refundable deposit. .
But starting rates have now risen to 3,500 euros per person per night, according to a press release published in March.
This represents a staggering 75% price increase over a 16-month period.
The train is expected to enter service in spring 2025, according to Accor, the French multinational hotel company that operates the train.
What is happening?
Accor did not directly respond to CNBC’s question about the reason for the sharp price rise.
A representative said: “Prices change based on occupancy, season, itinerary and cabin type. »
But again, the train is not running yet.
Prices for a luxury cabin on Accor’s La Dolce Vita Orient Express train have increased by 75% since the end of 2022.
Courtesy of Accor
Ticket prices are still lower than another train using the “Orient Express” moniker in Europe: the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Nightly fares for this train, operated by LVMH-owned Belmond, start at £7,060 ($8,925) per passenger, according to a review of its website.
Dave Goodger, managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, said the price rise is due to consumers’ continued willingness to pay higher fares. for luxury experiences. But, he says, that’s probably not the only reason.
The lounge of Accor’s new La Dolce Vita train.
Courtesy of Accor
“The demand for luxury travel is reflected in some continued price increases,” he said. “However, the price increases are not cost-effective and are broadly consistent with rising costs, including higher personnel costs as well as increased debt service requirements.”
Goodger called the increase in the price of the La Dolce Vita train “something of an aberration,” but also noted that it reflected the unique service it offers.
“La Dolce Vita” trains
Accor’s La Dolce Vita Orient Express is set to offer nine routes across Italy, including a coastal trip from Palermo to Rome and another from Rome to the Tuscan town of Montalcino.
The “La Dolce Vita” train – which translates to “the sweetness of life” – reflects the era of Italian glamor captured by Federico Fellini’s famous 1960 film of the same name. The film is perhaps best known for the scene in which actress Anita Ekberg frolics in the Trevi Fountain, an act that tourists can be fined heavily for replicating.
Reservations for the train open by telephone on April 2 and via the train website from April 24.
Accor plans to launch another train, called “The Orient Express”, using restored 19th century carriages that were once part of the historic “Nostalgie-Istanbul-Orient-Express”.
The train will serve several routes across Europe, including the emblematic Paris-Istanbul route.
Initially planned for this year, the train is now expected to enter service in 2026.
cnbc
